GMONPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94GMOFri, 27 Oct 2017 08:27:26 +0000GMOhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org
Durrie Bouscaren To prove that a new-gene editing technology could be used to alter the cassava plant, scientists in the St. Louis suburbs zeroed in on a gene used to process chlorophyll. Before long, they had petri dishes full of seedlings that were white as chalk . The plan is to use CRISPR — a cheaper, faster way to genetically modify crops — to grow cassava plants that are resistant to common plant viruses threatening food supplies in East Africa. But regulatory agencies have yet to finalize how they will treat the new crops. “It’s only really been available for use in plants for three, four years,” said principal investigator Nigel Taylor, of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in Creve Coeur. “Right now, it’s an experimental tool.”In a race to prevent hunger, Danforth researchers use CRISPR to gene-edit cassava http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/race-prevent-hunger-danforth-researchers-use-crispr-gene-edit-cassava
57726 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 25 Oct 2017 20:31:51 +0000In a race to prevent hunger, Danforth researchers use CRISPR to gene-edit cassava Durrie Bouscaren The world’s largest seed companies have their eye trained on Africa’s farming industry. A few, including St. Louis-based Monsanto, see drought-resistant corn as the key to an untapped market. But some African civil service organizations are wary of the genetically modified seeds Monsanto hopes to introduce.Altruism or PR? How Monsanto plans to snag a foothold in African seed marketshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/altruism-or-pr-how-monsanto-plans-snag-foothold-african-seed-markets
55014 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 14 Dec 2016 11:18:25 +0000Altruism or PR? How Monsanto plans to snag a foothold in African seed marketsEli ChenSt. Louis developers of genetically-modified organisms have called into question a New York Times report that compares the yields of genetically modified crops between North America and Europe. Using data from the United Nations, an investigative report published over the weekend by the Times claimed that "genetic modification in the United States and Canada has not accelerated increases in crop yields or led to an overall reduction in the use of chemical pesticides." Agriculture in the United States and Canada has embraced GMOs, while many European countries have banned cultivation of them for many years. The article also cites a National Academy report released this year that said there is no evidence that using GM crops have accelerated yield. In a statement released Monday, Monsanto said that it's tough to compare yields between large geographic areas, such as the United States and Europe.Monsanto, Danforth officials dispute New York Times report on crop yieldshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/monsanto-danforth-officials-dispute-new-york-times-report-crop-yields
54581 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgTue, 01 Nov 2016 04:38:48 +0000Monsanto, Danforth officials dispute New York Times report on crop yieldsEli ChenMonsanto has acquired a license to engineer crops using the revolutionary gene editing technique known as CRISPR-Cas9. The tool is considered more effective and simpler to use than the transgenesis method of developing genetically modified organisms. Developing a GMO involves introducing a foreign gene that carries a trait, such as resistance to drought or a particular pest. Testing a GMO seed can take years and complying with regulations that control such products can raise costs of development. CRISPR works differently in that scientists make small changes to genes to generate new traits. Since CRISPR is not as regulated as GMOs, using the tool could help Monsanto and other agriculture technology companies develop genetically modified crops with less money spent. CRISPR could help agriculture face up to environmental challenges, said Channa Prakash, dean of arts and sciences at Tuskegee University and an expert in plant genetics. "Agriculture needs to continuously evolve itself andMonsanto gets license to use gene editing tech CRISPR to engineer cropshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/monsanto-gets-license-use-gene-editing-tech-crispr-engineer-crops
54217 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgFri, 23 Sep 2016 22:20:34 +0000Monsanto gets license to use gene editing tech CRISPR to engineer cropsMaria AltmanGMOs -- genetically modified organisms -- are not exactly a controversial subject at the Ag Innovation Showcase. The three-day annual event is the place where the agriculture industry comes together to talk about new trends and startups to present to potential investors. Yet this week at the seventh annual showcase at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, there was also discussion around how people outside of agriculture view the technology. The auditorium was packed for a panel discussion called "Transparency Without Prejudice--Bridging the GMO Divide." " In the past people trusted that companies had the best interest of the environment, the ecosystem, human health, but that benevolence is lost," said moderator Han Chen, CEO of biotech startup ZeaKal . "Why do you think we lost that? And how do you think we can restore it?" The answers varied from getting more people interested in science to focusing on the positives of GMO . After the discussion panelist AnthonyAg industry looks at how to avoid dust-ups similar to GMO controversyhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/ag-industry-looks-how-avoid-dust-ups-similar-gmo-controversy
48547 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgThu, 17 Sep 2015 03:31:39 +0000Ag industry looks at how to avoid dust-ups similar to GMO controversyRobert HollyTwenty years ago, less than 10 percent of corn and soybean acres in the United States were planted with genetically engineered seeds, the type of biotechnology now commonly known as GMOs. Farmers have rushed to adopt the engineered seeds since then, in part because of climate change concerns.GMOs, Monsanto and the fight against climate changehttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/gmos-monsanto-and-fight-against-climate-change
47139 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 13 Jul 2015 04:39:45 +0000GMOs, Monsanto and the fight against climate changeCamille PhillipsMissouri Botanical Garden visitors were greeted by flashes of color even before they saw Chinese lantern displays Saturday morning. About 70 anti-Monsanto protesters lined the sidewalks outside the garden, some carrying 3-D monarch butterfly props. One protester brought along a dog in a bee costume. “We find it really hypocritical that a garden, which is by the way a beautiful garden, and that has in its mission to promote sustainability, is receiving large amounts of funds from an herbicide producer,” protest organizer Aubrey Yarbrough explained. Yarbrough is an organic farmer with GMO Free Midwest.Monsanto protesters gather at Missouri Botanical Gardenhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/monsanto-protesters-gather-missouri-botanical-garden
46050 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgSun, 24 May 2015 13:25:06 +0000Monsanto protesters gather at Missouri Botanical GardenVéronique LaCapraMary-Dell Chilton pioneered the field of genetic engineering in agriculture. She has spent most of her decades-long career working for Syngenta , where she founded the agribusiness company's research on genetically modified seeds. But Chilton started out in academia. And it was here in St. Louis, at Washington University, that she led the team that created the first genetically-modified plants in the early 1980s.St. Louis is birthplace of GMOs; meet the woman who created themhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/st-louis-birthplace-gmos-meet-woman-who-created-them
45909 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 18 May 2015 19:09:11 +0000St. Louis is birthplace of GMOs; meet the woman who created themMaria AltmanWhen you ask people what they think of Monsanto, it doesn’t take long for the four-letter word to come out. "I hate Monsanto," Jackie King said emphatically, while shopping at the farmer’s market in Tower Grove Park. King said she doesn’t like GMOs , or genetically modified organisms, that Monsanto helped pioneer in the 1980s . The subject of GMOs came up a lot, but shoppers at the market looking over locally-grown vegetables voiced a lot of concerns about the company, from patented seeds to its impacts on small farmers. Suzanne Carron said she worries about organic farmers and whether Monstanto's GMO products are affecting their crops. " Are they really being honest about the work that they’re doing? Are they really concerned about the farmers?" she asked. Joining the conversation Monsanto’s headquarters is just a few miles away from the Tower Grove Farmers Market in Creve Coeur on a campus that looks more like a small college than a corporation. CEO and chairman Hugh Grant couldMonsanto Looks To Re-engineer Its Imagehttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/monsanto-looks-re-engineer-its-image
40850 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgThu, 06 Nov 2014 04:54:27 +0000Monsanto Looks To Re-engineer Its ImageMaria AltmanMonsanto launched a new national advertising campaign Wednesday that focuses on something everyone can relate to: food. It’s part of an effort at Monsanto to improve the St. Louis-based company’s image. Earlier this year the Harris Poll on corporate reputations ranked Monsanto third worst in the country, just behind BP. Monstanto CEO and chairman Hugh Grant said part of the company's image problem is that for too long it focused its messages solely on farmers. He said today consumers want to know more about how agriculture works. " This is broader than simply Monsanto," Grant said. "I think the industry, in general, has done a pretty average job on the conversation on where does food come from or how it’s produced." The campaign was put together by Paradowski Creative in St. Louis. It includes TV ads that will air on national cable networks, as well as several local stations in coastal cities. There also will be print ads in several national magazines. Monsanto’s corporate brand lead,Monsanto Appeals Directly To Consumers In New Ad Campaignhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/monsanto-appeals-directly-consumers-new-ad-campaign
40821 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 05 Nov 2014 15:49:55 +0000Monsanto Appeals Directly To Consumers In New Ad CampaignKelly MacNeilHundreds of demonstrators protested outside Monsanto’s corporate headquarters in Creve Coeur Saturday. They called for the agriculture biotech company to end practices they say are harmful to the environment and abusive of the rights of farmers. That includes Monsanto’s development and control of genetically modified, or GMO, crops. “I believe that labeling [food with GMO ingredients] is extremely important, because people should be able to decide if they want to eat GMOs or not,” said Aubrey Yarbrough, an organic grower in High Ridge and member of GMO Free Midwest. “GMOs are in 80% of our processed food that’s not organic, and it’s too new to know what the effects on human health will be.” The protest was part of an international “March Against Monsanto” event, with marches scheduled in 47 states and 52 countries. “Increasingly I see corporations like Monsanto having an unhealthy amount of control over the global food system, leading to a lack of community self-determination andGMO Critics Protest At Monsanto Headquartershttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/gmo-critics-protest-monsanto-headquarters
36442 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgSun, 25 May 2014 15:30:25 +0000GMO Critics Protest At Monsanto HeadquartersMaria AltmanTen protesters were arrested outside Monsanto’s headquarters during its annual shareholder meeting Tuesday. The arrests happened shortly after the shareholders failed to pass two resolutions that would have changed Monsanto's policies on its Genetically Modified Organism products. Adam Eidinger, one of the protesters, is also a Monsanto shareholder. He proposed one of the resolutions. It asked that Monsanto work with the Federal Drug Administration to label genetically modified food. CEO Hugh Grant told shareholders the company strongly supports voluntary food labeling. " This voluntary labeling approach empowers people who may choose to avoid GM ingredients a choice that some people prefer, but without imposing new costs on people who don’t choose organic or non-GM products," Grant said. The measure failed with just 4.16 percent of the shareholders’ vote. Eidinger joined members of Occupy Monsanto protesting outside Monsanto.. He said the movement against GMOs will only grow. " We’veMonsanto Shareholders' Meeting: Protests Outside, No To Anti-GMO Resolutions Insidehttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/monsanto-shareholders-meeting-protests-outside-no-anti-gmo-resolutions-inside
33319 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgTue, 28 Jan 2014 23:26:29 +0000Monsanto Shareholders' Meeting: Protests Outside, No To Anti-GMO Resolutions InsideMaria AltmanMonsanto is no stranger to battling the controversy over Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs. Some of that controversy will come to Monsanto’s doorstep Tuesday afternoon during the company’s annual shareholder meeting . Several groups have promised to protest outside the meeting, where two resolutions dealing with GMOs are likely to be introduced. One resolution asks that the company work with the federal government to develop GMO labeling on food. Harrington Investments Inc. is introducing the other proposal. It asks Monsanto to produce a report on the costs of contamination when GMO crops cross-pollinate with non-GMO crops. Harrington research analyst Tracy Geraghty says Monsanto is fighting a losing battle by trying to hide the risks of GMOs . " And basic economics tells us this is not a sustainable model. It’s unsustainable," Geraghty said. "It’s not free market economics." Monsanto’s Board of Directors is recommending a "no" vote on both resolutions. In its annual investors'Monsanto Meeting To Draw Protests Over GMOshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/monsanto-meeting-draw-protests-over-gmos
33287 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 27 Jan 2014 22:50:14 +0000Monsanto Meeting To Draw Protests Over GMOsHilary DavidsonThis article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon. - Mark Brown, who owns Gateway Garlic Urban Farm in St. Louis and grows grains near Booneville, didn’t start out being against genetically modified organisms (GMOs). “I wasn’t anti-Monsanto,” he says. “I barely knew who they were.” He didn’t know he had bought anything from Monsanto until a letter came from the company after he bought GMO sweet corn from a third-party seed supplier that didn’t reveal its source.Farmer joins conference against genetically modified organismshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/farmer-joins-conference-against-genetically-modified-organisms
51586 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgFri, 08 Nov 2013 19:23:23 +0000Farmer joins conference against genetically modified organismsMartin KasteI have a story on All Things Considered Wednesday (click on the audio link above to hear it) about the campaign to put labels on food containing genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. The idea is gaining ground in the Northeast — Maine and Connecticut passed labeling laws this summer, though they won't take effect unless more states do the same. And GMO labeling is on the ballot this November in Washington state. One aspect I didn't have room for in the radio story is the question of what might happen if the movement succeeds. In the U.S., something on the order of 70 percent of our food already contains at least some GMO ingredients, so the GMO label would suddenly become ubiquitous on most grocery shelves. How would consumers react? The foes of genetic engineering hope America's experience will mirror Europe's. GMO food is legal, there, but it has to be labeled, and marketers are wary of consumer backlash. So GMO foods are rare. But America isn't Europe. For one thing, AmericansSo What Happens If The Movement To Label GMOs Succeeds?http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/so-what-happens-if-movement-label-gmos-succeeds
30727 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 16 Oct 2013 22:39:00 +0000So What Happens If The Movement To Label GMOs Succeeds?Dan CharlesThe strange case of genetically engineered wheat on a farm in Oregon remains as mysterious as ever. If anything, it's grown more baffling. As we reported almost two months ago, the presence of this wheat was revealed earlier this spring when a farmer in eastern Oregon sprayed a field with the weedkiller glyphosate, or Roundup. Most vegetation died, as the farmer intended, but clumps of green wheat stalks kept growing. They apparently had sprouted from grain that was leftover in the field from last year's crop. It was such a strange sight that the farmer wondered if this wheat might be genetically modified to be resistant to glyphosate, just like the popular Roundup Ready versions of corn and soybeans. He called a weed scientist named Carol Mallory-Smith at Oregon State University to ask her opinion. "I said I didn't think so," recalls Mallory-Smith. The biotech company Monsanto had developed such wheat years earlier, and carried out field trials of it, but those trials ended at leastIn Oregon, The GMO Wheat Mystery Deepenshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/oregon-gmo-wheat-mystery-deepens
28302 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 17 Jul 2013 07:00:00 +0000In Oregon, The GMO Wheat Mystery DeepensVéronique LaCapraA Monsanto researcher is one of the winners of the 2013 World Food Prize . Monsanto Chief Technology Officer Robert Fraley will share the international honor with Mary-Dell Chilton of Syngenta and Belgian plant scientist Marc Van Montagu . This year's winners of the award known as "the Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture" are former rivals who independently led the development of techniques to insert genes into plants. Their selection will probably be met with protests from environmentalists who have been vocal in their opposition to genetically-engineered crops. The World Food Prize is intended to honor individuals who have improved the "quality, quantity or availability of food in the world” — something Fraley says biotech crops are uniquely suited to do. “Over the next 30 years, the world needs to double food production,” Fraley said. “And you really have two choices. You either farm twice as much land and turn the rest of the forests and wetlands into farms, or you use technologyMonsanto Researcher To Share World Food Prizehttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/monsanto-researcher-share-world-food-prize
27562 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 19 Jun 2013 22:33:05 +0000Monsanto Researcher To Share World Food PrizeTim LloydTomorrow is the one year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street and local activist groups plan to mark the occasion by protesting biotechnology giant Monsanto. Barbara Chicherio is with the Gateway Green Alliance, which opposes genetically modified organisms developed by St. Louis based Monsanto and other biotech companies. She said tomorrow's protests will represent a shift within the Occupy movement to focus on specific issues. “Occupy was very concerned with corporate control of the economy, the environment, and so we picked our own, homegrown corporation that we’re very concerned about,” Chicherio said. “So, I think it’s the philosophy of Occupy, but we’re really honing in on Monsanto.” Organizers expect between 100 to 200 people to take part in protests, which will start tomorrow morning in downtown and wrap up outside Monsanto’s corporate headquarters in Creve Coeur in the afternoon. Daniel Romano helped organize today’s protests and disputes claims that genetically modified foodOn Occupy anniversary, protesters will take aim at Monsantohttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/occupy-anniversary-protesters-will-take-aim-monsanto
4612 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgSun, 16 Sep 2012 18:17:05 +0000On Occupy anniversary, protesters will take aim at MonsantoVéronique LaCapraMonsanto is leading the fight to block a California ballot initiative that would require labeling of food with genetically modified ingredients. The St. Louis-based biotech seed company recently contributed $4.2 million to a coalition opposing Proposition 37 . Monsanto is the largest contributor so far . Pesticide manufacturer Dupont is close behind, with contributions totaling about $4 million. Other top contributors include PepsiCo, BASF, and Bayer. In all, corporations opposing California’s GMO labeling initiative have contributed close to $25 million, while supporters have contributed less than $3 million. Proponents of Proposition 37 say Californians have a right to know whether the foods they purchase were produced using genetic engineering, which they say often has unintended consequences. In a blog post , Monsanto says supporters’ allegations that GM ingredients are untested and unsafe are not true. The company, which sells genetically modified seeds for a wide range of crops,Monsanto gives $4.2 million to block GMO labelinghttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/monsanto-gives-42-million-block-gmo-labeling
4348 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgFri, 17 Aug 2012 20:30:07 +0000Monsanto gives $4.2 million to block GMO labelingVéronique LaCapraA coalition of organic farmers and grower organizations has filed an appeal in its lawsuit challenging Monsanto seed patents. The group of 60 organic farmers, seed producers, and organic advocacy organizations originally filed suit against Monsanto on March 29, 2011. The suit seeks to prohibit Monsanto from taking organic farmers or distributors to court for patent infringement if their fields or seeds accidentally become contaminated with Monsantos patented biotech seeds. U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Buchwald dismissed the case last month , admonishing the plaintiffs transparent effort to create a controversy where none exists. In her dismissal ruling, Buchwald acknowledges that Like any other seeds, transgenic seeds may contaminate non-transgenic crops through a variety of means, including seed drift or scatter, crosspollination, and commingling via tainted equipment during harvest or post-harvest activities, processing, transportation, and storage. But she goes on to say thatOrganic farmers file appeal in lawsuit against Monsantohttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/organic-farmers-file-appeal-lawsuit-against-monsanto
3381 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgThu, 29 Mar 2012 15:43:27 +0000Organic farmers file appeal in lawsuit against Monsanto